Bowls: East Lothian ladies take scalp of East Fife

Division One outfit East Lothian took the scalp of Premier League side East Fife in the first round of the ladies' indoor bowls Scottish Cup at Headwell, Dunfermline.

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Reflecting on an impressive 90-71 victory, team manager Sheena Currie said: “I am chuffed to bits that the players rose to the challenge and emerged worthy winners.”

East Lothian made up for the absence of ace skip Yvonne Veitch with a strong team performance with wins on the rinks skipped by Janet Fairnie, Lauren Baillie and Irene Gray.

Fairnie skipped June Rutherford, Muriel Hamilton and Margaret Thomson to a an inspiring 11-shot victory and Baillie’s rink of Margaret Devine, Irene Combe and Gillian Mackintosh won by nine.

Gray and her front-three of Diane Rowan, Pat Turner and Nancy McNeil won by two shots but a late stumble cost Margaret Murray, Jean Russell, Alicia Irvine and Emma Logan a three-shot defeat.

East Lothian’s focus is trained on tomorrow’s second-round match at Abbeyview in Dunfermline where the opposition is Premier League Falkirk.

“It’s all to play for,” said Currie despite the absences of internationalists Emma Logan and Lauren Baillie.

Currie welcomes back Yvonne Veitch who has been called up to join team-mates Dee Hoggan and Emma Logan for the Home International series at Llanelli in March. Veitch is joined on tomorrow’s team sheet by Rosemary Mackintosh and teenage star Megin Kivlin who comes in for Diane Rowan.

Rink 1: Pat Turner, Rosemary Mackintosh, Nancy McNeil, Irene Gray.

Rink 2: Margaret Murray, Jean Russell, June Rutherford, Alicia Irvine.

Rink 3: Megin Kivlin, Muriel Hamilton, Margaret Thomson, Janet Fairnie.

Rink 4: Margaret Devine, Irene Combe, Gillian Mackintosh, Yvonne Veitch.